Latest California Healthline Stories
State Medicare Counseling Efforts Affected by Disbursement of Federal Funds
Officials for Sacramento-area divisions of the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program say that efforts to provide information about the new Medicare law to seniors are being hampered because they are not scheduled to receive $184,000 in federal funding until August or September, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Opinion Pieces Address Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage Law, Proposed Medi-Cal Reform
Two recent opinion pieces address proposals to reform Medi-Cal and a law (SB 2) that will require some employers to provide health coverage to employees or pay into a state fund to provide such coverage.
Many Hospitals Seek Bill Payment Before Discharge, Wall Street Journal Reports
The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday examined a “more aggressive billing stance” at an increasing number of U.S. hospitals that requires patients who seek nonemergency care to pay at least part of their bills before they leave — or before they receive treatment in some cases — as part of an effort to reduce bad debt.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) on Tuesday released his $5 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2004-2005, which calls for the elimination of some jobs, consolidation of departments and funding cuts to public health programs but would preserve “critical services for the poor,” the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Sen. Gregg Announces Plans To Introduce Legislation To Allow Reimportation of Prescription Drugs
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) on Tuesday said that he plans this week to introduce legislation that would allow the reimportation of lower-cost, U.S.-manufactured prescription drugs from Canada and other countries, the Washington Post reports.
Lawmakers Seek To Reduce Costs of State Prison Health Care System
Lawmakers on Tuesday at a legislative hearing “demand[ed] immediate changes” to reduce health care spending within the state prison system, which has doubled to almost $1 billion since 1999, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Mental Illnesses Common, Under-Treated Worldwide, Study Finds
Mental illnesses are “common and under-treated” in many countries, with the highest rate found in the United States, according to a study in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
Nearly three million Medicare beneficiaries have enrolled in the new prescription drug discount card program, with the vast majority being automatically enrolled, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson announced on Tuesday, the Long Island Newsday reports.
Prozac Benefits Children With Depression, Study Finds
Prozac treats children with depression “far better” than talk therapy with a psychologist, but a combination of the two provides the most effective treatment, according to a study sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health and presented Tuesday at a meeting of psychiatric drug researchers, the New York Times reports.
California Healthline Highlights Recent Legislative Action Related to Health Care
A bill (SB 1735) under consideration in the Assembly would require the state to pay $206 million in unpaid loans to self-funded state agencies that regulate nurses, dentists and other professions, as well as require the state to restore staff cuts to those agencies when funds are available, the San Jose Mercury News reports.